Level 3/4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

To provide students with the knowledge and experience required for the demands of a degree course or career in Art and Design.

Content

Why do an art foundation course?

Degree courses prefer their applicants to have an art foundation diploma and doing the course is still the most popular route into art and design degree courses and careers.

A survey carried out by the University of the Arts London amongst its graduates compared those who had previously done the Foundation Diploma with those who had applied for their degree place straight from A levels.  It revealed that those coming from the Foundation Diploma were 10% more likely to achieve a 2:1 or 1st than those who had not done the Foundation qualification.  The practical and thinking skills you will learn on the Foundation Diploma have a real value which will impact on your success and chances of employment.

One art and design degree course at a university in the area has a retention rate of only 33%.  That means that two thirds of those who started dropped out before the end and left with nothing.  The help you get from the Foundation Diploma to identify the right pathway for you will help you avoid making expensive mistakes in degree course choice.

These two statistics demonstrate the value of the Foundation Diploma at a time when the job market is increasingly competitive and university fees are increasing.  The Lincoln Foundation Diploma is undoubtedly a good investment.

Why do the art foundation course at Lincoln College?

The Lincoln College Foundation Diploma has an excellent record of achievement and, in a recent Ofsted inspection, Art and Design at the College achieved the highest grade available (Outstanding) as did the College as a whole.

Also, you may not be aware that our Foundation Diploma is validated by the University of the Arts, London.  This means that your qualification will be awarded by UAL (which includes the prestigious colleges of Central St Martins, London College of Fashion, Chelsea College of Art and Design, Wimbledon College of Art and Camberwell College of Arts).

We believe that we are the best Foundation Diploma in the area and that we have a significant contribution to make to your art and design education and your future success.  So, if you have made applications to other courses or have HE offers, we strongly recommend that you choose our course for your next year of study.

We will get you ready for your career in art and design by doing the following things:

Practical skills

Practical skills are still the basis for success in the art and design world.  We will teach you how to do things like draw and use media properly and you will spend a lot of time developing and practising your skills.

Thinking

We will teach you where ideas come from and how to turn them into personal and original work.

Specialist directions

There are dozens of specialist directions within art and design.  Starting the wrong degree course and having to change direction can be very costly so it is vital that you get it right but how will you know which subject is right for you?  We will tell you about all the specialist disciplines available in art and design and you will have the opportunity to try out a subject before choosing your degree course.

Choosing degree courses

When you make a degree application you are committing yourself to three years of study.  Choosing your degree subject is a major decision which could affect your whole life so it is vital that your decisions are based on facts.  The art foundation course will supply them.

Preparing for degree applications and interviews

We will advise and support you with the process and you will have the benefit of our substantial knowledge of universities and degree courses nationally.  Your main asset when applying will be practical work.  We will make sure that you have a really good interview folder.  We know what degree courses are looking for and the coursework you do for us will be exactly what interviewers want to see.

Preparing for degree level work

You must be prepared for the demands of degree level study.  You will need practical skills, creative ability, a knowledge of contemporary art and design and confidence in what you are doing.  You must also have the ability to work independently.  By the time you leave us your work will be up to first year degree standards.  You will feel the benefit of this knowledge and experience as you start the degree and your performance will be stronger than that of other students who did not do an art foundation.  Ultimately you will get a better degree result.